


belonging

by orphan_account



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: College AU, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Roommates, and like implied jongi or whatever its called, idk what else to say, its seongjoong and woosan, there are side pairs im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “You deserve to be happy,and I deserve to be happy.You make me happy,” he said simply.It didn’t sound like much, but it was a revelation Yeosang needed to hear.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Kang Yeosang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	belonging

**Author's Note:**

  * For [minshuas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minshuas/gifts).



> I wrote this for my sister for Christmas... but I really hope everyone enjoys is because the yunsang tag is LACKING and this ship is GOOD
> 
> ALSO! it is easy to catch onto, but the black hearts indicate yeosangs pov and the red are yunhos but the whole fic is in third person, just limited to them...?? if that makes sense... i think it will make more sense reading it but yeah

_ “Dammit”  _ Yeosang mumbled as he fumbled with the keys in his hand. He was thankful to actually have an apartment instead of a college dorm this year, but he still wasn’t used to how long it took to go to and from the building. The dorms were closer, there was no doubt about that, but now he was closer to work, too. It's just that with work and school running so close together he was stressed. 

Just as he found the right key, the door swung open wide, and he was greeted with his roommate’s face. “Yeosangie!” Yunho cheered somewhat obnoxiously, but Yeosang couldn’t help but smile. His roommate, Yunho, and him had somehow become friends their first year of college. Neither of them really expected it, but when Yunho had met Yeosang’s best friend, he said he didn’t expect that, either. Apparently quiet people can only hang out with quiet people in Yunho’s mind. But the two of them living together was comfortable. The apartment was tiny and didn’t suit anymore than two people, and living with Yunho felt like living with a giant puppy, but it worked. Yeosang liked it. 

He rolled his eyes while walking past Yunho, and throwing himself on their run-down sofa. He felt his throat tighten, and the last thing he wanted to do was cry, but how horrible his day was overwhelmed him. “Yeosang…” Yunho took a seat next to him, and just watched as he cried. This had never happened before, so Yunho deserved some sort of explanation. Yeosang was emotional, but usually quiet about it. It wasn’t normal for him to outwardly express all of his emotions, and maybe that is what is getting to him now. 

“I’m okay,” Yeosang choked out, grabbing at a throw pillow to hug. Instead, Yunho offered his own arms, Yeosang let it happen. This also wasn’t normal, but there was a first time for everything. Plus, they are  _ friends _ . This is what friends do for each other. They are there for each other. His head ended up on Yunho’s chest while his limbs still held onto the pillow. Yunho stroked his hair, letting him cry. There was something peaceful about it, something that made Yunho wonder why he didn’t cry more often.

When Yeosang’s crying eased and was replaced with the occasional sniffle, Yunho spoke up, “What happened?” Yeosang closed his eyes, thinking about everything that had gone wrong today, and all he could think to say was  _ everything.  _ He didn’t. Instead, he thought about the good things that happened today, and maybe they outweighed the bad, but he couldn’t remember. 

He finally decided on what to say, and explained it as briefly as possible, “I thought my essay was due next friday, not this thursday...and I covered a shift for a friend, but it started so soon after class that I got there late and got both of us in trouble.” Yunho nodded as he explained, despite Yesoang not going into detail. In the brief moment of silence between the two of them, he searched for anything on Yunho’s face. But there was nothing except understanding, no disapproval, no disappointment. For what felt like the first time that day, Yeosang smiled, and a grin spread across Yunho’s face. 

There was nothing that could compare to seeing Yunho smile, and everyone knew it. But Yeosang didn’t know how many people felt what he did when he smiled. He also tried to not care, which proved hard whenever he heard all the people that loved Yunho telling him just that. For some reason, it was hard for Yeosang to tell him the same, too. He wanted to let him know how much he mattered, but he continued to show it in the little gestures, which ended up being the only way he knew how. 

“It’ll be okay,” Yunho comforted him, holding him closer. He could feel sleep pulling at his eyes, but he told himself not to do that to Yunho. He deserved a bed, a good night’s sleep. Not whatever Yeosang would rope him into staying like this as long as he wanted. But Yunho’s fingers ran through his hair, and as the stinging behind his eyes disappeared, he drifted back and forth from sleep. 

🖤 

_ 3:29.  _ The clock moved slowly, and Yeosang tried not to move. He couldn’t help the nights he woke up motionless, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t like he  _ couldn’t  _ move, he just didn’t  _ want to _ . Yunho’s arms were around him, and he could feel his steady breathing on his neck. It sent something down his spine, but he rubbed at his eyes and shook off the feeling.  _ 3:30.  _ Time moved so incredibly slow when you were doing absolutely nothing. He couldn’t will himself back to sleep, though, no matter how comfortable he was. Instead, he tried kicking at his bag at the end of the couch. 

He shuffled in order to reach it, pulling it towards his body with his foot hooked around the strap. Once he could reach it with his arms, he struggled looking through the contents to find his phone.  _ 3:33.  _ Time couldn’t move slower.

🖤

Yeosang didn’t know when he fell asleep again, but he woke up with his phone in his hand, and Yunho’s arms still wrapped around his body. “Sangie,” Yunho whispered, “I gotta get ready for class.” Yeosang bolted upright on the couch, nodding. 

“Of course,” he brushed himself off, “Go ahead, I will go to my room…” he stood up to wander off to his bedroom. He left it a mess the other morning, and it was weird that he hadn’t been in it since then. The blankets were tossed around and a pillow was ready to fall off the side of his bed, and he had managed to accidentally leave his desk lamp on.

After getting into bed, all he could do was stare at the ceiling. He left everything he could do in the living room, so staring seemed like the best option. He didn’t want to walk back out awkwardly, he didn’t want to acknowledge how last night had gone by so slowly yet all to quickly. Yeosang tried closing his eyes, wondering if he could make up for the time he lost last night. 

Interrupting his dozing, Yunho’s voice boomed throughout the apartment, “Bye, Yeosang!” Other than this morning, he doesn’t know if there was ever a time he got out of his bed faster. Realizing he didn’t know what to do or why he felt like he needed to get up, he just stood awkwardly in his doorway where he could watch the front door. Unlike he planned, though, Yunho came down the hall to wish him goodbye, and why, Yeosang didn’t know. “See you,” Yunho’s arms wrapped around him again and hugged him tight, and Yeosang gave in, doing the same. His hug wasn’t as strong, but Yunho seemed satisfied with it. 

“See you,” Yeosang mumbled in return, and Yunho smiled and waved. He was gone in seconds, but Yeosang stared at the door as if he could make time move faster or make Yunho walk back in. But it didn’t matter how long he stared at the door, even if he did wait until Yunho was back. It wouldn’t do anything. He wouldn’t do anything. He could never find the right words to tell Yunho had the right time, so instead he swallowed them. 

After another minute of nothing happening, he walked back into his room, right to his closet. There, he shuffled through all the clothes he could wear to class, deciding on a sweater and jeans. It was nothing special, none of his clothes were anything he very special. 

Making his way to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and bit down on his lip. And he bit down  _ hard.  _ He didn’t mean to, but the way his makeup had faded overnight made him want to scream. The little patch on his cheek was visible through the concealer and foundation that he usually pounded onto it.  _ It doesn’t matter now,  _ he thought to himself. He left, but not without slipping the makeup into his bag. If anyone commented, he couldn’t just brush it off. 

He settled on walking to school. Even if it was cold and windy, maybe the blistering sting of the weather would make him feel a little more than usual. There was nothing as unsatisfying to him as wasting time on his friday off, but he chose to anyway. He didn’t finish that essay he needed to, so maybe he would find time to do it today, print it off, and turn it in. He didn’t even know if the professor was here today, but he needed to do something with his time.

❤️

“Mingi, Mingi, Mingi!” Yunho cheered loudly from behind him. Everyday the two ran into each other like this, and everyday Yunho greeted him in the same, loving yet obnoxious manner. 

“What, what, what?” he cheered back without even asking the question.

“What’s up?” Yunho asked him casually now, as they walked side by side. 

“Nothing much, Jongho and I stayed up too late last night playing games and my head kills, plus San came over this morning right before I left… He didn’t look too good,” Mingi explained, almost laughing at the thought. Yunho didn’t know what was funny about it, but he was sure to find out. “He was probably hungover or even still drunk or something because he wouldn’t shut up about his stupid boy problems,” Mingi was laughing to the point his words didn’t come out. 

“Is there something wrong with him and Wooyoung?” 

“Something  _ wrong?”  _ Mingi joked, “Well, I guess that’s up to you because he finally decided to get himself so drunk he would be fine telling Wooyoung how he felt, but Wooyoung just thought he was drunk-talking.”

“He’s hopeless,” Yunho smiled. They passed the food court, and Yunho thought about getting something to eat, but that would have to wait for after class. 

Mingi’s smile widened as he laughed, “Are you anyone to talk?” 

“ _ Are you?”  _ Yunho shot back quickly, but the red that tinted Mingi’s cheeks wasn’t just from the wind. Even he was still oblivious to his own feelings, but it wasn’t Yunho’s place to tell him how he feels. 

“What is that supposed to mean!” he yelled more than asked, “Besides, I was talking about you,” he pointed out Yunho’s attempt to redirect the conversation. 

“No, you were talking about San and Wooyoung.” 

“Whatever… Its my stop, see you later,” Mingi waved, and he was gone. 

Yunho could feel the wind and something else tinting his cheeks, too, but he kept walking, ignoring whatever the feeling was. He would have to acknowledge it one day, but today was just not the day.

❤️

The week was finally over along with all of his classes, so Yunho was more than ready to go home, and maybe spend some time with Yeosang. He was always home before Yunho, but sometimes he didn’t come out of his room. That didn’t really bother him other than that Yunho didn’t really like being alone. He wasn’t scared of it or anything, he just thinks that passing time is easier to do with someone else. And he enjoys when he gets to do so with Yeosang. 

“I’m home!” he called once he managed to get the door open. There was no response, not that he expected one, but he also didn’t  _ see  _ anyone that could give him a response. “Yeosang?” he asked into the empty apartment. He wasn’t even in his room. Maybe he picked up another shift or was out with someone. He could even be helping Wooyoung, after the mess that Yunho heard about. It didn’t really matter what he was doing, it was none of Yunho’s business, but he thought that he would at least have a text saying that he wouldn’t be home or something. He checked his phone again, but there was nothing. He decided to send one himself. 

[Yunho. 4:23 P.M.] you ok?

Nothing. There was no response. Time moved slowly, and as Yunho did things around the house to tidy up, he checked his phone constantly despite the volume being all the way up. Still nothing. It was nearly 5:00 and he still hadn’t heard anything from Yeosang. But Yeosang is an adult. He is his own person, and he doesn’t need Yunho checking up on him. When Yunho’s phone buzzed, however, he has never checked it faster, reading the message like it was the last thing he would be able to see or like it would change his life in some way. 

[Yeosang. 5:09 P.M.] im on my way home rn, sorry

But the message didn’t say anything. There were words, but it didn’t tell him anything. It didn’t even answer Yunho’s question. But hovering was bad and being overbearing was bad. He didn’t want to seem like he had bad intentions, or even bad actions. He just wanted to make sure Yeosang was okay. It didn’t matter where he was or what he was doing. 

❤️

“Hey,” Yeosang walked through the door quietly while Yunho was on the couch, watching music videos play one after the other. If the door hadn’t opened or closed, Yunho probably wouldn’t have noticed Yeosang coming in or speaking at all. His voice was so quiet, but there was nothing to read about his face. 

“Yeosangie! How are you?” he opted for something noninvasive. 

“Fine, you?” he was short with his words, which was usual. Yunho had no intention to interrogate him, but there has been something sad about him recently. Whatever it is, it has been tearing at Yunho’s heart, and he wanted to try to help. 

“I’m okay, but I missed you!” he tried to lighten the mood. Yeosang stared at him, eyes wide, somewhat red. His birthmark wasn’t covered today, and that was incredibly strange for him. It would be a good sign if he was opening up about his looks, but there was no other indication of that being the case.

“Why?” 

_ Why?  _ Yunho didn’t know what more to do than stare at him for a minute. Of all the responses he could think to give someone after being told he was missed, ‘why’ would have never occurred to him, and it was the way he said it that worried him the most, as if he genuinely wondered why someone would wait for him, why it mattered at all. “Yeosang…” he paused, trying to collect his words. He wasn’t always the most serious person, but he knew when the time called for it, and something was wrong. “...has something been bothering you? Can we talk?” He watched as the boy was motionless for what felt like hours but in reality was about five seconds. He nodded, making his way to the couch to sit down. Yunho didn’t know whether to expect a lot or a little or if he was ready for anything at all, but he decided he had to be for whatever Yeosang was about to say to him. 

🖤

_ Why did you say why?  _ Despite knowing exactly why he would say something that made him so vulnerable, something that made him seem weak, he wished that he had never said a word because then he wouldn’t be sitting down on his run-down sofa with his roommate staring at him like there was nothing else in the world. There was so much else in the world that Yunho could be doing, but for some reason he wastes his time with someone like Yeosang. To Yeosang, that didn’t make any sense. In fact, in made even less sense than saying  _ why _ . 

Yunho listened to each thing Yeosang said, caught every detail, big or small. It was like he really cared, and he really convinced Yeosang that he did. But it all came back to  _ why.  _ That’s all Yeosang didn’t understand, why would he lead him on like this, why would he put so much time into caring about him, or at least honing his acting skills so it seems like he really does. Why would someone do that for someone like him? He doesn’t talk much, he isn’t very fun to be around. Sure, he can be funny and of course he has friends, but the way Yunho treated him wasn’t like how his other friends did. He didn’t understand it, and even though he loves it, is frustrates him. 

“Can we talk?” was the last thing said between the two of them before sitting down. Yeosang opted to stare at his feet like they would do the talking for him, but no, they failed him too. He had to say something but being blunt was hard for him and Yunho asking all the questions would get obnoxious for the both of them. 

“I’m sorry for saying that,” Yeosang took the safest route he could with his words, but they still weren’t the right ones. He had a feeling that what he was trying to say wasn’t on the safe route, that they were very much clear of the safe route, but he was too scared of disappointment, rejection, heartbreak, and everything else he could feel if he said something that Yunho didn’t like. 

Yunho shook his head though, “You don’t need to apologize. I just want to understand why you feel that way.” He was too nice. Too nice for Yeosang, for some of his own friends, family, teachers, and everyone else in his life. No one deserved Yunho, and he deserved better than a lot of the crap that he has had to deal with, but he still remains so nice. 

“Well I....” he didn’t know how to finish his sentence without all of his feelings falling out of his mouth and onto the floor in a big mess. They would be so jumbled that he would have to wait for Yunho to sift through and make sense of them before he could respond, but what option does he have left. Lying? He wasn’t going to do that, definitely not to Yunho. “I just don’t understand why you’re so nice to me. I know we are friends, but it feels…” he trailed off. He didn’t want to say it. The word was obvious but what kind of connotation does it have? Would Yunho take it the wrong way? He let himself say all that without the real punchline, but Yunho deserved to hear it, and Yeosang deserved to admit to himself and Yunho. “...it feels different.” 

Yunho only nodded with his solemn expression before his lips cracked into a smile, and Yeosang could feel heat rise to his cheeks and probably turn him some shade of pink. He let out a small chuckle before finally responding, which flustered Yeosang even more, but he let him continue. “That’s it? I mean, thank you for telling me, but what makes you think that we are different?” Yeosang’s ears hurt from what he heard, and he thought maybe he was going to hurl or something worse. He swallowed his own tongue. There was nothing he could say to that. He motioned like he was going to get up, and he began to walk away, but Yunho grabbed his hand, standing with him. “Don’t leave, Yeosangie,” his smile was so sickeningly bright that Yeosang could feel tears well up in his eyes knowing that he would never get to tell him that and have him understand exactly what he meant. He wanted to scream being told that he would never get to kiss his smile like he had thought about on occasion. But he was more than a smile, and Yeosang craved to know him as more than a smile, more than a friend, but he couldn’t, not now. 

“Let me go, I have work to do.” This indeed, was a lie. His own hurt was making him do things he didn’t want to. He shouldn’t lie, he had never lied to Yunho before, but something about what he said affirmed Yeosang’s preconceived notion that being honest with him wouldn’t work out in his favor. And of course, Yunho dropped his hand, and of course, Yeosang didn’t move an inch. He had to hear him. There was some ounce of hope left in him after all of it being drained. 

“I’m sorry, Yeosang, that isn’t really what I meant to say,” he tried explaining himself, and Yeosang tried listening, but now he was crying. And now Yunho was worried about him crying because Yunho lets himself get bothered with Yeosang’s problems. He welcomes them and fixes them and  _ cares so much.  _

“Wh..what did you mean to say…?” he tried swallowing his hope along with his sobs, but they kept flowing, and now he was choking them out into Yunho’s shoulder. His arms were wrapped around him, and even now, even as the mess he is, Yunho decided to hug Yeosang to comfort him. His cries were muffled, they were quiet and there wasn’t anything necessarily loud about them, but Yeosang hated how annoying he was being, he hated being a burden. 

Yunho’s hand crept it way up from the spot it was resting on Yeosang’s back to playing with the strands of hair just by his ears. He was warm and comforting and everything about him read that Yeosang didn’t need to be crying anymore. “I should have said that I understand, that it is different. That would have been the honest answer,” he explained like his life depended on it, like he was putting something on the line here, but all Yeosang heard was what he had been hoping to hear the whole time. And it is what devastated him in a whole new way. 

To Yeosang, he would never be good enough for Yunho, and, to Yeosang, Yunho deserved better. He couldn’t be everything that Yunho wanted him to be. He could try, but he would fail. “Why is it different?” he choked out, somewhat of a cough lingering on Yunho’s shirt. He was scared to look him in the eyes, not because he was scared of Yunho, but scared of saying the wrong thing to Yunho and seeing the horror on his face when he did. So he chose to hide. 

“Because I like you!” he had Yeosang by the shoulders now, looking directly at him. He was trying to shake the explanation into him without really shaking him, and Yeosang understood why. He wasn’t receptive to kindness. He wasn’t receptive to love. Why would he be receptive to this? “Please don’t leave me because I said that. I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way either,” he could see the worry on Yunho’s face as his smile turned downwards and he looked for some sign of anything on Yeosang’s face. But Yeosang still looked like a mess from crying, and he knew it would be hard to read him. “Just hear me out when I say this because I —” Yeosang cut him off the second he saw the smile blossom back across Yunho’s face. It wasn’t one of those signature smiles, but it was real and raw emotions were behind it, and Yeosang couldn’t contain himself between what he was feeling and hearing. 

Yeosang connected their lips in a moment of bravery that he didn’t know if it would ever return to him again, but he was thankful for risking it because Yunho hardly hesitated to return the gesture and every feeling hidden behind their lips. But Yeosang also wasted no time pulling away, trying his turn at reading the other, who seemed happy, shocked, and confused all at the same time. “I like you too, Yunho,” Yeosang explained slowly, “but you deserve better than me.” 

And just like that the smile that was plastered across his face disappeared, and Yeosang felt guilty for that. He knew he was guilty of doing that because, for some reason, Yunho cared a lot about him. “Yeosang,” he looked lost by just saying his name, but he found his footing, found his words somewhere along the lines. He looked so sure and spoke so clearly that Yeosang didn’t have an option other than to believe him, “You deserve to be happy, and I deserve to be happy. You make me happy,” he said simply. It didn’t sound like much, but it was a revelation Yeosang needed to hear. 

“ I’m —” 

“—I know your sorry, but you don’t need to be. I love everything about you, Yeosang. Everything,” Yunho smiled like he hadn’t just changed Yeosang’s world. Maybe in lots of ways, he didn’t change much, but everything felt different, and the red in his cheeks and stinging in his eyes only made it worse. Yunho’s hand moved up his body onto his cheek, and Yeosang didn’t know whether to expect more words or a kiss, but his fingers just brushed across his birthmark before his mouth opened to ask, “Why didn’t you cover it up today?” Yeosang swallowed hard, trying to not take it as an insult. 

“I just didn’t feel like it,” he admitted. Even Yeosang didn’t really know why he chose against covering it up, but he knew that answer wouldn’t suffice. Instead, he chose to be a little more honest, which seemed to be actually getting somewhere, even if it feels like they are taking two steps forward and one step back every time a new question is asked. 

Yunho smiled at him, looked from the little mark on his cheek to his eyes, and Yeosang tried not to let his heart race, but it got the better of him. “I like it,” Yunho smiled, moving closer, and Yeosang could have sworn his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He could be told for years that the birthmark wasn’t bad or didn’t need covered, but he would never believe it, but he believed that Yunho loved it. And that made him feel a way that happy couldn’t begin to describe. 

Even though Yeosang thought Yunho was trying to will himself into kissing him again, he decided to close the gap yet again. He would give Yunho his chance later, but for now, he liked the feeling of initiating the kiss. It was unexpected, but this time Yunho didn’t waste anytime kissing back, and this one was different than the last, more passionate. His hands grasped around Yunho’s waist, and Yunho had already been preoccupied with Yeosang’s hair and cheeks. He could feel as Yunho’s cupped hands moved from holding his cheeks to holding fistfuls of his hair, and before it could go any farther, Yeosang pulled away slightly, leaning into Yunho, who kissed his forehead and continued to hug him. 

Yeosang didn’t want to cry again, even if it would be from joy this time. He wanted to be held like this forever, though, and to stay protected from every evil thing in the world the way he was now. “Thank you,” he mumbled quietly before breaking them up completely, and going into his room. It took no less than seconds for Yunho to knock on his door. 

“You can just come in,” he explained, confused. There were very few times Yunho had ever been in his room, and everytime, he had knocked, but Yeosang didn’t understand why. For the most part, Yunho kept his door open, so he was used to Yeosang annoyingly walking in on him. 

Yunho leaned against the door frame, not very cooly, more like he was nervous to step any further into his room. “Is that all that was bothering you?” he asked kindly. 

Yeosang took his opportunity to joke back, “We weren’t really doing much talking in the end, so yeah…” he laughed gently, and it was Yunho’s turn to blush. 

“That isn’t what I meant, Sangie,” he was looking anywhere but at Yeosang, and for the first time in what felt like a long while, Yeosang’s smile spread so wide across his face, and he wasn’t even embarrassed because of it. 

“I know, I know,” he motioned for Yunho to come into the room with him, and the two sat on their bed. “Are you busy tonight?” 

“I thought you were?”

It was Yeosang’s turn to be embarrassed again, “I...lied. I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to do, but I thought maybe we could watch something?”

Yunho’s smile didn’t falter, which didn’t mean that he wasn’t bothered by Yeosang’s lie, but he wasn’t hurt. “Sure,” he took a seat next to Yeosang on the bed, as the other pulled out his laptop to pull up some anime Yunho had probably never heard of. 

❤️

“Yunho, Yunho, Yunho!” could be heard across the parking lot of the apartment complex. Today, everyone was meeting at Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s apartment for dinner and a sleepover, though they all insisted on calling anything else. San simply said that he was ‘staying the night,’ and Wooyoung described it as ‘guys’ night,’ but Yunho insisted that they were all just trying to say sleepover. At least no one called it a slumber party, though. Not that Yunho thought anything was embarrassing about a slumber party, but Jongho might not come if he heard that. Not only would he think it was a stab at his age but he was with San and his description of these nights.

“Mingi!” Yunho cheered, getting out the car. For some reason, Mingi seemed to have been waiting for Yunho and Yeosang to arrive, which was fine, but strange. Yeosang caught up with Yunho, who swung his arm around the smaller boy comfortably, but the face Yeosang gave him was somewhat uncertain and panicked, and Yunho realized right away that neither of them had mentioned anything to their friends. It had been a week since they started dating, and neither of them found the right time to tell anyone, although Yeosang insisted that Yunho just let him tell at least Wooyoung, but telling Wooyoung was like telling the whole campus. 

Yunho, admittedly, was the one that was nervous to tell his friends. He didn’t want them panicked over something that wasn’t a big deal, and he wanted to give them time to be together long enough so he had proof that it wasn’t a big deal. But trying to not kissing his boyfriend in public was turning out to be the bigger deal. He rolled his eyes at Yeosang, who he knew was only looking at him like that because of him, but he removed his arm anyway. 

Mingi gave them a strange look before shaking his head. He was probably deciding to ignore whatever that exchange just was, and Yunho was thankful. Maybe he thought telling Wooyoug was bad but telling Mingi right now would just mean telling everyone. Also right now. And no one would stop talking about it. Instead, though, Mingi attempted to discreetly raise his eyebrows in acknowledgement, and Yeosang laughing out loud at what he shouldn’t have seen probably led Mingi to his conclusion. “Dude, did you tell him?” 

Yunho didn’t know what to say or do other than stare at Mingi because telling  _ only  _ Mingi, even if Mingi was his best friend, was not what he wanted to do right now. But of course, Yeosang being Yeosang played dumb, making Yunho even more flustered as well as Mingi this time, “Tell who what?” he tilted his head for effect, and Yunho didn’t know whether to be proud of how clever and adorable he was or impressed. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Mingi said before opening the door for the two of them. The apartment was filled with everyone else already, including Jongho who Yunho still never asked how he got there. He lived in a dorm on campus and didn’t know how to drive, so he always questioned it, but never aloud. 

“Hello!” Seonghwa greeted them politely from the kitchen, which was connected to the living by a large opening, “Dinner is almost done, so you can have a seat at the table if you want.” Yunho did, across from Yeosang, per usual. Hongjoong was in the kitchen helping his boyfriend, and San was already at the table. Wooyoung and Jongho seemed to be finishing whatever round they were on of some video game, and Mingi made his way to the table after kicking them, telling them to hurry up. 

“I have ears, hyung!” Jongho turned back to yell at Mingi, and at perfect timing for Wooyoung, who took his opportunity to kill Jongho on whatever the game was. Mingi and Wooyoung celebrated together by laughing at Jongho, who angrily met everyone at the table. 

“How are you and Wooyoung?” Yunho asked San quietly, not that he needed to when everyone besides Yeosang were too busy yelling. 

San’s eyes grew wide, but he nodded, “Wooyoung still...doesn’t believe me, but I did tell him sober this time, so I don’t know what isn’t to believe,” he whispered back, seemingly annoyed, and Yunho laughed.

“I’m sure he’ll understand soon…” Yunho tried to sound reassuring, “Any progress with…” he pointed a thumb towards Mingi, who was finally taking a seat next to him. 

San shook his head in response while laughing. “Of course not!” he joked, “They move like snails… Besides, I don’t even think they know yet. Or maybe they aren’t into each other, I dunno…” 

“Trust me, they are,” Yunho thought back to the other day when he tried bringing up Mingi’s love life to him. 

San nodded before leaning in closer and whispering, “How about you?” he said a little too loudly. By now, everyone was seated and Seonghwa was bringing out the food, which looked delicious. Yunho blushed thinking about whether or not now was a good time to say anything, but Yeosang decided for him. 

“We are dating.” 

Everyone’s eyes darted to Yeosang, who was playing a game on his phone with not so much focus. “What?” he put down his phone, looking at everyone. “Yunho and I are dating…” 

It was Mingi that shouted first, then the table blew up, some of them congratulated them, but others whispering or yelling at them and Yunho just stared at Yeosang while it all happened, who was laughing about the whole thing. 

“Wait, wait” Hongjoong stopped them all, something that only he could do, and maybe Seonghwa if he was mad enough, “You two are actually dating? For how long?”

“A week,” Yeosang chirped matter-of-factly. Hongjoong nodded, but no one else said anything, so Yeosang continued, “It’s okay. We will be okay. We make each other happy, and if anything happens, it will be okay because we are like best friends.”

“HEY!” Wooyoung shouted from directly next to Yeosang, who jumped at hearing that, “ _ We  _ are  _ best friends _ , though, right?” 

Yeosang smiled before nodding rapidly, “Of course, dummy.” 

“Good.” 

Yeosang shot a smile to Yunho, one he was trying to get used to seeing, but wasn’t sure if he ever would, it had that much of an impact on him. Now he was going to have to wait for the perfect time to tell Yeosang the big L word.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading !!! 
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated but not required!


End file.
